Red Knot Communications, a new boutique PR and marketing agency, has been launched. Focusing on both B2B and B2C campaigns, Red Knot Communications has been kick-started by a senior team of media and industry specialists whose combined experience spans the overlapping domains of sports, betting and gaming – alongside broader backgrounds in multimedia entertainment, sponsorship and publishing.

The start-up’s idea was realised by Rich Thorp, former biz-dev director of FSB, and Camilla Wright, co-founder of media and entertainment brand Popbitch and regular contributor across digital, broadcast and print media. Red Knot already has an international scope, thanks to offices in London, Manila and Hong Kong, while its senior management team brings cross-platform expertise, covering established and emerging markets in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

Romilly Evans, former head of sports and betting content at IG Group, joins as content partner, having worked in PR and multimedia with companies as varied as The Telegraph, ITV Sport, talkSPORT, Bloomberg and The European Tour. Red Knot’s team is completed by Andy Clerkson, an expert in technology development and product strategy, who has overseen many companies’ successful transition from start-up to scale-up stage. Clerkson has spent three decades building global brands in media, sports betting and gaming, notably managing Maxim magazine at its height, founding Grand Parade and helping The Stars Group and FOX Sports set up FOX Bet in 2019.

This eclectic blend of backgrounds allows Red Knot to draw from decades’ worth of experience working with some of the biggest names in media, while also standing at the intersection of the global growth that was accelerating across the betting and gaming worlds before the slowdown hit. Red Knot operates across channels and worldwide markets, enabling its clients to tell the story of their varied businesses to targeted audiences via the right platform.

Camilla Wright, partner at Red Knot, said: “The gaming and sports betting industry across the world was facing unparalleled headwinds in 2020 even before the COVID-19 outbreak. Media, public opinion and regulatory challenges haven’t gone away, but brands will increasingly be judged on how they behave during these uncertain times. Red Knot can help you understand and respond to this evolving environment, helping you shape the way the world sees you – wherever you are and wherever you want to do business.”

Rich Thorp, partner at Red Knot, added: “PR and marketing have always been a logical extension of my business development background, so it’s great to assemble a team which is equally passionate about PR. Our sector has always been so resilient and innovative that we stand a better chance of quickly adapting to a new normal.

“As with any period of uncertainty, there are both challenges and unexpected opportunities, so the key is marshalling your resources to make your business as anti-fragile as possible. And Red Knot is perfectly placed to assist with both messaging and strategy, working as we do from a nimble, distributed model which already extends from East to West.”